A word that gets used loosely

“Validation” is one of the most used — and most misunderstood — words in product.

Founders talk about validating their idea, validating their market, validating their assumptions. The same word covers a casual conversation with a friend and a six-month round of customer interviews. It can mean almost anything you want it to mean.

That looseness causes real damage. Two founders can both say they’ve “validated” their idea and have wildly different levels of evidence behind it. One has talked to a few supportive people. The other has presold the product to twenty real customers. They’re both using the same word.

If you want validation to actually help you, it’s worth being precise about what it means — and what it definitely doesn’t.

What validation isn’t

Let’s s...

What validation actually means (and what it doesn’t)